


Quarters

by ToxicLaughter



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Contra, F/M, Fluff, Nate's pretty good at arcade games, he just sucks at console games, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 06:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7923679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicLaughter/pseuds/ToxicLaughter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not that he’s bragging, but Nathan Drake is the best at Contra. He’s managed to beat just about every player that places their quarters on the glass of the arcade cabinet. Except her.<br/>OR<br/>The one where Nate is sixteen and a nerd playing nerdy arcade games and Elena totally beats him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quarters

Wait until Sam hears about _this_. Three dollars and two hours later and Nate had managed to make every thirteen-year-old brace face hang in shame, nearly bringing tears to their eyes and he _demolished_ each and every one of their high scores. New city, new arcade, new set of NDM initials to top the Contra leader board. 

Most arcade games came very easy to Nathan, except Tetris, and he could be described as ‘generally good’ at most of them. But Contra? That’s a whole different story. He ruled Contra. No matter the state, city, or country he was in, Nathan held the high score. Part of him wanted to join one of those national video game competitions to see just how far he could go. But with his lifestyle and Sam’s disapproval of being in the limelight, he understood that sticking to the small town arcades was the farthest he was going to go in presenting his Contra skills. 

With a smirk, he finished off the last level with a bright ‘1129500’ as his score. “Way to go me,” he said loudly, turning to the group gathered around the machine to see what all the hype was about. “Anyone else want to battle? You might cry a little bit, but hey, there might be snacks afterwards!” He joked, resting his hands behind him on the edges of the cabinet.

“I’m up next.” He jumped and spun around, first noticing the little silver currency sitting all alone, then noticing the blonde girl with her hands on her hips. “What? You afraid a girl will beat you?” Some of the kids in the crowd ‘oh’-ed and Nathan had to snort.

“Not afraid of anything sweet cheeks. Ladies first.”

She gave him a challenging look and pushed Nate out of the way. “Prepare to cry, pal.” She said. Nathan crossed his arms and settled in for a short ride, soon learning that he probably should’ve grabbed a chair, because about ten minutes later she was on the last level. Delicate hands pressed the red and yellow buttons, her fist clenched around a joystick as she navigates around the enemies. 

When the game finishes, and she turns around to him, Nate can’t stop the look of pure astonishment on his face. “Oh crap.” It wasn’t that she was a girl. It wasn’t that she was probably two years younger than him. It was the fact that _anyone who wasn’t Sam_ managed to beat him. ‘1230500’ lit up the screen, and over to the side of it were the initials EFR. Below those were his initials, and his lower score. He nearly choked on his own tongue. _Play it cool Nate, play it cool_. “So, uh, ‘EFR’? What’s that stand for?”

“Elena Fisher Rules.” She said with a grin. “‘NDM’?”

“Nathan Drake Mor- …Nathan Drake Mastermind.”

“Nathan Drake Mastermind?”

“Yeah, I think it’s cool.”

She smiles sweetly at him. “Well, Nathan Drake Mastermind, do you think you can beat _my_ score? Or are you too chicken?”

He frowns. “Really? Me? Chicken? I’ll make you eat those words little girl.”

 

He doesn’t. In fact, Nate was so nervous with her piercing beady little crystal really attractive eyes, digging into the back of his head to do even half as good as his original run. With a gulp and a weird whimpering noise, he found himself sitting on the curb just outside the arcade, Elena Fisher, and all her infuriating beauty and snarky-ness, beside him.

“Hey Nathan Drake?” He hums his acknowledgement. “Buy me ice cream.”

“What?”

“I won, so you can buy me some ice cream.”

“Who said that was the deal?”

She chuckles. “Oh come on, just buy me like a cone or something. It’s like a dollar.”

Nate pouts. “Fine, but just a cone. And no dipping it in chocolate!”

She laughs even harder this time. “Whatever you say Nathan Drake.”

They wait in an awkward and generally uncomfortable silence until a beat up bug rolls up to them. Nate perks up and stands, a smile on his face. It soon fades when Elena stands up next to him, her arms hanging casually at her side. “Hey little brother,” Sam says from the driver’s seat. His window is rolled down just enough for them to see his mouth, both hands resting on the steering wheel. “Who’s your friend?”

“She’s not my friend.”

“Elena.”

“Nice to meet ya Elena. C’mon Nate, we got places to be, people to see, things to do.”

Nate feigns sadness and his apologies as he turns to Elena, shrugging and saying, “Guess we can’t get that ice cream.”

“Ice cream? You taking this young lady out for ice cream little brother?” He doesn’t wait for an answer before fishing a few dollars out of his wallet and holding them outside the car. “Who am I to stop young love?”

“Sam!”

“Thanks!” Elena reaches over and grabs the money, waving it in front of Nate’s face as Sam drives off to see those people, do those things, and go to those places. “Looks like you’ll have to come with, to make sure I’m not spending your brother’s money on expensive camera equipment.”

 _Expensive camera equipment?_ Nate mouths. Just who the hell is this nerd. “Fine, but no sprinkles either.”

“Aw, you’re making this really hard for me to enjoy my superior gaming skills.”

Nate grins. “Well then my plan is working.”

“Shut up.” She lightly punches him in the shoulder.

“Hey, all’s fair in love and war.” With a pout, she reaches over and wraps her arm around his, forcing them to be locked in elbows.

Nate finds it strangely comfortable.

Wait until Sam hears about _this_.

**Author's Note:**

> Nate may be bad at console games, but I have no doubt that Sam and he had friendly competition when it came to arcade games when they were kids. And Elena is just good at all games.


End file.
